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LaGuardia Airport Redevelopment Program

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Cleaner, Greener, and More Efficient

LaGuardia Airport Background

LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is one of the New York metropolitan area's three primary commercial airports. Encompassing 680 acres in the New York City Borough of Queens, LGA is a major domestic airport located just minutes from Manhattan, the nation's financial center, and serves a metropolitan area of approximately 19 million people. The airport borders on Flushing and Bowery Bays in northern Queens. It is an integral part of this region's economic activity and serves a key role in the transportation of people and goods.

LGA was opened as a commercial airport in 1939. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began operating LGA in 1947. The airport consists of four passenger terminals and maintains two main runways. In 2013, LGA served a record 26.7 million passengers through its 71 contact gates.

LGA is a major source of economic activity for the Borough of Queens as well as the New York City region. LGA employs approximately 10,000 people, and contributes more than $13.6 billion in economic activity to the NY/NJ metropolitan region, generating about 103,000 local jobs and $4.9 billion in annual wages and salaries.

Central Terminal Building Background

The Central Terminal Building opened to the public in 1964 with a design capacity of 8 million annual air passengers (enplaned and deplaned). Modernized and expanded to approximately 835,000 square feet of floor space in the 1990s, the six-block long terminal consists of a four-story central section, two three-story wings, and four concourses that can accommodate up to 35 aircraft gate positions.

The CTB faces a wide variety of challenges to both airside and landside operations. There are inadequacies in several areas of the CTB and its support facilities. The CTB parking garage (P2) is approaching the end of its useful life, and will require significant investment simply to maintain a state of good repair. The CTB's frontage roads do not meet industry design standards and are overly congested during peak periods. Its aircraft ramp constrains aircraft movement, resulting in delays, higher costs, and inefficiencies. The CTB itself suffers from severe spatial constraints; its design prevents airlines from using more modern, fuel efficient and environmentally friendly planes. Today's fleet of larger aircraft deliver passenger loads that are well in excess of the CTB's original design, with deficiencies throughout the concourses in hold room capacity, circulation, concessions, and rest rooms. Certain infrastructure is at the end of its useful life and cannot adequately serve current and future airport demands.

LGA Redevelopment Program

LGA is undergoing an extensive capital redevelopment program in an effort to provide world-class airport facilities for passengers and airlines alike. The Program is expected to include the demolition of the existing CTB and associated infrastructure and the construction of a new 1.3 million square foot, 35 gate terminal building; a new aeronautical ramp; frontage roads that will serve the new terminal; a new central heating and refrigeration plant; and other utilities and site improvements. These project elements will be constructed, operated, maintained and partially financed by a private developer that will be selected by the Port Authority via its procurement process. In addition, the developer will design and construct new airport roadway systems, utilities in the Central Terminal Area, and the West Parking Garage. In 2013, roughly 13 million passengers passed through Terminal B, also a record.

The Port Authority will also undertake certain supporting projects that have independent utility and will support airlines and passengers across the entire airport including the construction of utilities; the demolition of Hangars 2 and 4; the construction of the new East Parking Garage; and the installation of runway safety enhancements.

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Progress

Milestones to Date

May 2015: The Port Authority's Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to begin the first phase of a new vision for an overall redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport by selecting LaGuardia Gateway Partners to develop a $3.6 billion world-class facility to serve approximately 50% of the passenger volume at LaGuardia.

December 2014: A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) decision for the environmental assessment from the FAA was received, a major milestone critical to the demolition of the existing Hangars 2 & 4 and ancillary support buildings. This will make way for new Central Terminal Building and aeronautical apron area.

November 2014: Erection of the precast concrete structure for the East Garage, was completed with the last section installed. The overall structure stands at 6 stories high and will provide 1100 public parking spaces when opened in the 2nd quarter of 2015.

July 2014: The East End Substation (EES) foundation is complete with the concrete structure erected. The new three-story Substation with an electrical capacity of 24 MW, would provide for more efficient handling of growing electrical demand and would accommodate electricity for future growth, including a new Central Terminal Building.

November 13, 2013: Design and construction of West Parking Garage authorized by PANYNJ Board of Commissioners.

September 18, 2013: Demolition of Hangars 2 and 4 and associated support structure authorized by PANYNJ Board of Commissioners pending environmental review.

July 24, 2013: Site, building and utility infrastructure program authorized by PANYNJ Board of Commissioners.

June 7, 2013: East End Substation construction commences.

April 24, 2013: Runway Safety Area Enhancement Program authorized by PANYNJ Board of Commissioners.

March 20, 2013: Design and construction of East Parking Garage authorized by PANYNJ Board of Commissioners.

December 6, 2012: Phase III Planning for Program authorized by PANYNJ Board of Commissioners.

November 27, 2012: East End Substation Foundation contract awarded.

August 1, 2012: East End Substation Foundation and Building contractsauthorized by PANYNJ Board of Commissioners.

Procurement

On October 26, 2012, the LGA CTB Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and Project Briefing Book were released by Port Authority Procurement. To access information about the Procurement process, click here.

On July 26, 2013, four firms were selected as a result of the RFQ and invited to submit Requests for Proposals. Click here to see the firms.

On March 10, 2014, due to procurement violations, Proposer Aerostar New York Holdings, LLC was disqualified from the RFP Process.

1. What is wrong with the existing terminal and why can't it simply be fixed?

There are three major functional areas of the existing Terminal B: landside, terminal and airside. Each has deficiencies that cannot be fixed by rehabilitating the existing building:

Landside: The number of traffic lanes and frontage length is not wide or long enough and cannot be modified. High occupancy vehicles and taxis compete for frontage on the arrivals level and taxis and private cars compete on the departures level resulting in congestion on frontage and circulation roads.

Terminal: The limited space in the ticketing area also serves the requirement of baggage screening with bag screening machines located in the ticket lobby. When the terminal was built in 1964 passengers arrived close to the time of departure, similar to the way passengers arrive for trains or buses today. The hold rooms were not designed for passengers arriving an hour or more before their flight. In addition, the hold rooms are not large enough for today's aircraft fleet mix. Due to the space constraints in the hold rooms, the majority of concessions are located prior to passenger screening. After 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration adopted passenger screening requirements that take up a great deal of space in both width and length. The existing concourse configurations limit the number of lanes for passenger screening causing passengers to wait in longer lines.

Airside: The gates cannot accommodate the future fleet mix. They were originally designed for aircraft that are shorter and narrower than today's aircraft, causing inefficient parking positions, numerous tow-in positions and aircraft that push back into active taxiways.

Starting with the frontage curbs, sufficient weather protected curb length will be provided for arriving and departing passengers. The departures level will provide a wide sidewalk used for curbside check-in. The check-in hall is anticipated to have more open space. It is also anticipated that two passenger screening areas, called Security Screening Check Points (SSCP) will be located at the east and west end of the check-in hall. All bags will be screened in a modern in-line baggage screening area, out of passengers' sight. It will also have the flexibility to respond to technological changes. The concourses will be larger and more comfortable, with traditional attendant assisted check-in counters and self-service kiosks, while meeting energy and sustainability requirements. Ninety percent of concessions will be located after passenger screening in the Concourses where passengers prefer them.

The phased implementation of the infrastructure and terminal will provide infrastructure and new gates to come into service before the opening of the new check-in hall, which opens several years before the existing Terminal B's demolition. Overall, the phased program is not expected to be complete until 2021.

The Port Authority will enter into a Public-Private Partnership, through a competitive selection process, with a team that will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the new Terminal B. Construction of two garages, infrastructure and roadways surrounding the new Terminal B will be the Port Authority's responsibility.

5. How much does the program cost and where does all the money come from?

This is a multi-billion dollar program. The funding plan is still being developed but funding could be provided from a variety of sources including: private sector financing; funds generated by the FAA's Passenger Facility Charges; revenue from concessions; rents and fees.

6. Will there be more airlines and markets served by the future Terminal B?

The number of airlines operating from the Terminal B and the number of markets served could vary based on market and economic conditions, as is the case today. However, it is likely that the degree of variability will be small as the FAA currently caps the number of airport flights.

7. Will the future Terminal B be energy efficient and environmentally friendly?

Port Authority requirements meet or exceed all governmental or industry guidelines for environmentally friendly and sustainable buildings. The new terminal will be designed in accordance with the Port Authority's Sustainable Building Guidelines. As mandated by the Port Authority's Sustainability Policy. Additionally, the project will be designed to achieve a minimum requirement of Silver under the LEED 2009 rating system, with a target rating of Gold.

It is anticipated that the program will provide dedicated roadway frontage and terminal spaces at ground level in the new Terminal B for buses, vans and other high occupancy vehicles (HOVs). In addition, on-airport bus and HOV operations will benefit from roadway improvements to traffic flows on airport.

Contact

The Port Authority is committed to ensuring stakeholders are informed about the project and its benefits and potential impacts. We will be holding various meetings with impacted residents and local organizations throughout the duration of the project to provide information, build collaborative relationships, and answer questions. We encourage you to track progress with us by checking back regularly on the Progress tab.

About Redevelopment

LGA is undergoing an extensive capital redevelopment program in an effort to provide world-class airport facilities for passengers and airlines alike. The Program is expected to include the demolition of the existing CTB and associated infrastructure and the construction of a new 1.3 million square foot, 35 gate terminal building; a new aeronautical ramp; frontage roads that will serve the new terminal; a new central heating and refrigeration plant; and other utilities and site improvements.